iFi GO link Max Portable USB Balanced DAC & Headphone Amplifier – Low

iFi GO link Max Portable USB Balanced DAC & Headphone Amplifier – Low Distortion, Enhanced Dynamic Range

$120.81

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GO Link Max

Portability. Versatility. Maximised.

Our smallest DAC gets its biggest upgrade.

The GO Link Max is a pocket-sized Hi-Res USB DAC and headphone amplifier designed for listeners who demand serious sound quality on the go. Compact, powerful, and effortless to use, it delivers a dramatic upgrade over standard headphone outputs found in smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

Whether you’re taking your first step into Hi-Res audio or looking for a truly portable companion for high-end headphones and IEMs, the GO Link Max is built to unlock the full potential of your music—anywhere.

Small Size. Big Difference.

As Hi-Res streaming becomes more widely available, more listeners are discovering just how much detail is missing from standard audio outputs. The GO Link Max bridges that gap instantly.

Simply plug it in, connect your headphones, and experience cleaner transients, deeper dynamics, and a more immersive soundstage—no drivers, no setup, just pure plug-and-play performance.

Pocket Powerhouse

Modern portable devices are full of compromises. Many no longer include a headphone jack, and even the best adapters offer limited output power.

The GO Link Max delivers up to 241mW of output power, providing approximately 5× more power than a MacBook Pro’s headphone output.

More power doesn’t just mean higher volume—it means better control, improved dynamics, and the ability to drive demanding headphones with authority and finesse.

Output Power Comparison (32Ω):

GO Link Max: 241mW
MacBook Pro*: 49mW
*Calculated based on Apple’s stated RMS voltage

Bringing the Balance

The GO Link Max is iFi’s most compact balanced DAC to date.

Its fully balanced circuit design minimizes noise and crosstalk across the entire signal path—not just the cable. For single-ended headphones, iFi’s exclusive S-Balanced® technology brings the benefits of balanced audio to the 3.5mm output, delivering cleaner sound and improved channel separation.

With both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm S-Balanced outputs, the GO Link Max is ready for today’s headphones—and tomorrow’s upgrades.

Little DAC. Big Heart.

At the core of the GO Link Max lies a dual ESS Sabre ES9219 DAC architecture, with one DAC chip dedicated to each channel. This dual-mono design ensures precise instrument separation, accurate imaging, and a lifelike soundstage.

To push performance even further, iFi integrates its own proprietary technologies to eliminate jitter and distortion, delivering refined musicality with exceptional clarity.

Close your eyes, and you’ll feel as if the music is unfolding live in front of you.

Dynamic Delight

ESS Sabre’s Dynamic Range Enhancement (DRE) increases contrast between the quietest and loudest moments in music. With the GO Link Max, iFi enhances this further—achieving an additional +6dB of dynamic range.

The result is greater impact, deeper lows, soaring highs, and a more emotionally engaging listening experience that draws you in track after track.

Gain Control, Lose Nothing

Traditional digital volume controls reduce audio resolution by cutting data before it reaches the DAC. The GO Link Max avoids this compromise with hardware-based volume control.

When you adjust volume on your device, the change occurs directly within the DAC chip itself—preserving full resolution and detail at any listening level.

True Hi-Res Playback

True Native® playback from MP3 to DSD256
Supports PCM up to 384kHz and DXD384
ESS Sabre HyperStream DAC architecture
Time-domain jitter eliminator
Up to 112dB dynamic range

Balanced design, low noise, and advanced clocking technologies ensure sound quality typically found in far more expensive desktop systems.

Designed for Pure Listening

Solid metal construction
Ultra-portable, lightweight design
USB Type-A plug-and-play compatibility
Works with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android

GO Link Max

A true pocket-sized gateway to high-end sound.

Portability. Versatility. Maximised.

Our smallest DAC gets its biggest upgrade.

Small Size, Big Difference.

Hi-Res music is more accessible than ever, with a growing number of streaming services bringing high quality audio to the masses.

More and more music lovers are discovering the benefits of higher quality streaming, while seasoned audiophiles are eager to explore the portable possibilities of their high-end headphones and IEMs.

The GO link Max is the perfect pocket-sized solution for Hi-Res listeners both new and old.

It’s the perfect first step for new listeners, opening the door to previously undiscovered details in your favourite music while including features that set the stage for your audio journey.

For seasoned enthusiasts, the balanced 4.4mm output is the perfect addition to all the features brought over from the multi award-winning GO link, offering simplicity and unrivalled portability when taking your high-end gear on the go.

The GO link Max is your plug-and-play gateway to incredible audio quality – simply connect, plug in your headphones, and immerse yourself in superior sound.

Pocket Powerhouse.

When it comes to listening with headphones, modern portable devices such as smartphones are riddled with compromise. Many don’t have a headphone socket at all, and even the best adapters are severely limited in their output volume.

With the GO link Max, you can take the power back with up to 241mW of output, which is around 5 times more power than the headphone socket of a MacBook Pro.

More output doesn’t just mean more volume, though. With the power of the GO link Max behind them, your headphones can articulate fine detail and definition in a way that’s simply not possible with a standard headphone output.

5x
more headphone power
GO link Max Output: 241mW
MacBook Pro output*: 49mW
*Calculated at 32 ohms according to Apple’s stated RMS voltage

Bringing the Balance.

The GO link Max is our smallest and most portable balanced DAC yet.

The GO link Max’s balanced circuitry extends the interference elimination technology typically found in balanced audio cables, to the entire audio system.

Our proprietary S-Balanced technology brings this same advantage to the 3.5mm port, providing a superior single-ended experience exclusive to iFi. Every listener, regardless of their headphone choice, benefits from balanced design.

With both options available in the GO link Max, you can enjoy crystal-clear detail and channel separation today and still be ready for tomorrow’s upgrades.

Little DAC, Big Heart.

At the beating heart of this pocket rocket lies a pair of the renowned ESS ES9219 Sabre DAC chips.

With a DAC chip dedicated to each channel, each instrument is clearly separated and defined. Shut your eyes and you will feel the band playing on stage in front of you, with each musician precisely positioned.

We then push performance further by adding some in-house tech of our own, to ensure elimination of jitter and distortion for crystal clarity and refined musicality.

Playlists will pull you in like never before, and you can look forward to moreish music that gives you that ‘just one more song’ feeling every time you listen.

Dynamic Delight.

The Sabre DAC’s Dynamic Range Enhancement (DRE) allows for greater contrast between the loudest and quietest sound.

Every crescendo rings louder and every intimate moment of quiet sits more peacefully, filling your listening sessions with the life, energy and immersion your music deserves.

With the GO link Max, we push this further, combining DRE with our own developments and enhancements. The result is an exceptional +6dB of additional dynamic range.

To your ears, this effectively doubles the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds, so you can feel the soaring highs and deepest lows in your music, perfectly presented.

Gain Control, Lose Nothing.

Digital volume controls are the hidden enemy of modern Hi-Res audio. When you lower the volume on a phone, tablet, or computer, the output is lowered artificially by reducing data sent to the DAC – resulting in a significant loss of audio quality. While many dongle DACs accept this trade-off, at iFi, we don’t settle for less – even in our most accessible product.

The GO link Max features a hardware-based volume control that overrides this typical behaviour. When you adjust the volume on your device, the change occurs directly in the DAC chip. This ensures that maximum detail is retained, and you can enjoy the full richness of your Hi-Res music at any volume.

Hi-Res True Native® playback of all music formats from MP3 to DSD256, PCM384 and DXD384.

Discrete ESS Sabre Hyperstream DAC chipset with time domain jitter eliminator, discrete oscillator and 112dB dynamic range for discerning listeners.

It is a superior method to the traditional single-ended circuit approach. Balanced circuits reduce noise and crosstalk. Less Interference – clearer sound.

You normally find this set-up in products at the higher end of the price spectrum such as the Pro iCAN Signature but iFi is now using this across its range to produce the best quality audio for all our customers.

In music production, dynamic range means the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds. It’s measured in decibels, or dB for short. In a single audio track, dynamic range means the dB difference between the loudest and quietest moment in the audio file.

You can think of the dynamic range in a system as the space between the noise floor and the clipping point. When a sound goes below the noise floor you won’t be able to tell the difference between the signal and the system noise of the medium. When a sound goes above the clipping point, the tops of its waveform will get abruptly cut off, causing harshness and distortion.

iFi’s proprietary technology extends the Dynamic Range by 6 dB or more, for an improved listening experience.